Cailee J. Alderman Discusses Guardians ad Litem and SIJS at at AAAA Conference and DePaul Law

Kogut & Wilson partner Cailee J. Alderman recently shared adoption law insights on a panel at the Academy of Adoption and Assisted Reproduction Attorneys (AAAA) 2026 Fall Conference and will do the same as a guest lecturer for an adoption law course at DePaul University College of Law.

At the AAAA conference, Cailee spoke on the panel "The Child's Voice in Family Formation: Navigating GALs and Child Counsel in Adoption Cases," which examined the roles of Guardians ad Litem (GALs) and attorneys who represent children in adoptions, considering the issues from the standpoint of both the GAL and the child.

The discussion centered on the points where these cases grow difficult to resolve. These include contested adoptions and situations in which a child's wishes conflict with the proposed outcome, as well as concerns about how a child's representative is carrying out the role.

At DePaul, Cailee will speak with students about adoption law and Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS), offering a practitioner’s perspective shaped by her work in Cook County Adoption and Probate Court.

The lecture builds on Cailee’s involvement with the DePaul law school community. She previously joined practitioners from Chicago Volunteer Legal Services and the National Immigrant Justice Center for a DePaul panel examining SIJS and adoption.

Cailee represents clients in all aspects of family and matrimonial law, with a focus on divorce, child custody, child support, adoption, guardianship and Special Immigrant Juvenile Status.